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Amakali wildlife conservation observation monitoring tracking

Our story

We are Freya and Max, two passionate conservation biologists dedicated to ensuring the survival of magnificent landscapes, fauna and flora before human population growth, climate change and land use change wipe out the last wild places.

We are driven by our passion for the natural world and its protection, and as a team we have proven to trust, respect and complement each other.  Freya is from the Canary Islands and grew up between the mountains and the sea. She has always been keen to visit new natural places around the world and quickly learned the importance of education and local cooperation in successful conservation practices. Max is from Germany, but has focused on the African continent since leaving school. Specialising in protected area management and large mammal conservation, he has seen first-hand the multifaceted coordination of field operations and the active protection of rhinos and other endangered species.

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In addition to our international studies, we have gained knowledge of natural resource management, wildlife conservation, field operations, ecosystem restoration and ecological research from a variety of perspectives gained from working on projects around the world. These have included private wildlife reserves, NGOs, local communities, national parks and scientific and government institutions, often in combination with ecotourism, agriculture, forestry, marketing and infrastructure planning. It has helped us to understand conservation management at a landscape level, which we see as a multidisciplinary approach involving finance, law, logistics, communication, education and working with local communities and international partners to achieve meaningful impact.

 

Our expertise ranges from species and ecosystem monitoring, protected area and reserve management, scientific research and fieldwork, restoration and rewilding projects, environmental assessment and consultation, geospatial solutions, GIS and data management, anti-poaching, wildlife security and law enforcement to field guiding, community outreach and training and mentoring of rangers and students.

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Let us know if you need our expertise or browse our services to find out more about how we can work together.

The faces behind Amakali

Freya Santana Cubas

M.Sc. International Nature Conservation

M.Sc. Biology

B.Sc. Biology

Maximilian Sterk

M.Sc. International Nature Conservation

B.Sc. Environmental Bioscience

Amakali

The name 'Amakali' pays tribute to our beloved friend and mentor, Christopher Amakali, who sadly passed away in 2018.  He had a great passion and love for conservation and dedicated his life to the protection of Africa's wildlife. As he always dreamed of 'making a difference', we have pledged to continue his legacy.

Our logo

Our logo represents the mountain aloe (Aloe marlothii), a succulent plant native to the rocky outcrops and open plains of Southern Africa.  It shares these landscapes with many of our favourite animals, is known for its robustness and strength and is used in a number of remedies by indigenous African cultures.

 

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